1. Watch Your Mailbox

The Masters is strictly invitation-only. If a golfer has any of the following qualifications, Augusta National will consider asking him to play -- although it reserves the right not to. Likewise, the club occasionally considers an international player without any of these qualifications:

• Masters Tournament Champions (Lifetime)
• US Open Champions (Honorary, non-competing after five years)
• British Open Champions (Honorary, non-competing after five years)
• PGA Champions (Honorary, non-competing after five years)
• Winners of The Players Championship (three years)
• Current US Amateur Champion (6-A)(Honorary, non-competing after one year); Runner-up (6-B) to the current US Amateur Champion
• Current British Amateur Champion (Honorary, non-competing after one year)
• Current US Amateur Public Links Champion
• Current US Mid-Amateur Champion
• The first 16 players, including ties, in the previous year’s Masters Tournament
• The first 8 players, including ties, in the previous year’s US Open
• The first 4 players, including ties, in the previous year’s British Open
• The first 4 players, including ties, in the previous year’s PGA Championship
• The 40 leaders on the Final Official PGA Tour Money List for the previous calendar year
• The 10 leaders on the Official PGA Tour Money List published during the week prior to the current Masters Tournament
• The 50 leaders on the Final Official World Golf Ranking for the previous calendar year
• The 50 leaders on the Official World Golf Ranking published during the week prior to the current Masters Tournament

2. Survive the Cut

At the end of 36 holes, according to tournament rules, the field is reduced to the 44 lowest scores and ties, plus those within 10 strokes of the leader.

Making the cut isn't exactly easy, even for the best players. In 2003, defending champion Tiger Woods found himself 11 strokes behind leader Mike Weir, before squeaking into final-round play by two shots. Weir, who won in 2003, found himself going home early in 2004.

3. Sudden Death

The Masters is the only major golf tournament in the world decided by sudden death, which means that if there is a tie at the end of 72 holes of play, a playoff will commence and continue until a champion is decided.

Sudden death starts at the 18th hole and then, if necessary, moves to the 10th.

Twelve tournaments have been tied after regular play since the Masters began in 1934, with six since sudden death was adopted in 1979. Mike Weir defeated Len Mattiace in sudden death in 2003, which was the first playoff in 13 years. Fuzzy Zoeller won the very first sudden-death playoff in 1979.

Related Links

• Look behind the scenes at the Masters
• Past Masters champions